We are all called to do what we are called to do, Andrew. As far as showing respect to "earn" it, in your first scenario, everyone would need to be showing it all the time. Now you have switched it up with a new formula: show it to earn it. If this worked at all, there would be no hate crimes, no hate crime law necessary and no racism, homophobia, agism, or any other kind of discrimination. But the world is full of fear and discrimination and it is aimed against the innocent, so your formula doesn't work at all, either one of them. And I am reminded that your fluid position makes it difficult to have an intelligent conversation with you, so excuse me if I opt out on this one now.

Don't get me wrong, a world of complete respect for everyone and no crime or war would be great. I won't hold my breath, but I do wish the best for everyone. I get why Neil is all copped out, never had illusions otherwise. But I can find my place of peace and feel the love common in all humanity come nightfall. Luckily, at the end of a tough day, I can do that. Non duality includes duality. It hurts more and I guess if I am honest with myself, bothers me less over time, ever so slowly. I wish it would hurry up and bother me much less today. Ah well, nothing to do but carry on.

On Friday, August 29, 2014 3:12:22 PM UTC-4, andrew vecsey wrote:

You have to show respect to earn it yourself. If you love your enemies, you will not have any. You have to be patient, good things take time to take root. Hope is a powerful thing. Do not give up too soon. Its better to be positive and optimistic, than to be negative and pessimistic. Perhaps you should change your line of work. On Friday, August 29, 2014 6:56:53 PM UTC+2, Molly wrote:

I have to say that in my line of work, I have not seen much respect for other peoples views. There is quite a bit of hate in the world. I'm not judging it, just tired of dealing with it all week. Glad for the holiday weekend. Respect cannot be legislated, and not everyone is capable. If your model depends on it, I would find a different one.

On Friday, August 29, 2014 10:59:30 AM UTC-4, andrew vecsey wrote:

Perhaps one needs to find the golden middle- not too small and not too big, but just right. What would the golden middle be for our world? How many languages, how many countries, how many religions. What is the ideal size of a family? The golden middle should be found not by scientists or religious leaders, but by the people themselves. As long as we do not have "too big to fail" mentalities, and as long as we respect people`s views, and their desire to be free, everything should gravitate automatically to the golden middle point. And if things get too big, let them fail and break up.

On Friday, August 29, 2014 4:07:15 PM UTC+2, Molly wrote:

I find the philosophy of focusing locally ethnocentric and short sited if that is the whole of it. Working with local community for local needs is important, but so is a more global focus like world peace, climate change, space program, world hunger, disease irradiation...these things can't be resolved on the local level yet individuals can make a difference on them within their communities. My local community does not manufacture cars, but there are certainly enough made in my state, so I need to expand my scope to get one. I have a Land Rover for brutal Michigan winter driving, so there, I have supported Archy's community too.

Folks are drawn to herd mentality for many reasons, usually an underdeveloped mind. There is no particular "they" doing the brainwashing but the cultural norm of the time, whether it be local, national or global culture. Each of us is responsible for our own development, we choose to look away from ourselves and get stuck in a stage of development, or choose to face what stops us and get beyond it. An ongoing process of introspection that many find too painful to pursue. Those who believe in conspiracies are themselves stifled by the belief that forces beyond their control limit them.

On Friday, August 29, 2014 5:48:36 AM UTC-4, andrew vecsey wrote:

Nature clearly demonstrates cycles of growth and separation.This trend is seen from cells to mountains and from families to empires.Growth reaches a point where the size becomes too big to sustain itself and then falls apart, separating into smaller better manageable pieces.Man tends to interfere with nature, and the trend to globalization as desired by the few greedy powerful that want to have it all is a clear indication of this. Schools have followed this trend. They started out as facilities of learning in families and communities. They became international centers of indoctrination. Politics also have followed this trend. They started out as communities and ended up as empires. Businesses started out as family run enterprises and ended up as global corporations. Left to themselves, they will all get too big and fall into smaller pieces. Thanks to the technologies available at the present, this cycle of growth and separation can be allowed to follow without the normal destructive processes that would be otherwise necessary to allow the "too big to fail" to fail.

For schools and education, this is the internet. For empires, this is the democratic process of voting instead of wars. For the banks, this is the bitcoin protocol.

It high time for people, especially educated ones and those claiming to be "free thinkers" to embrace these possibilities. But unfortunately too many are already brainwashed.

There is hope. The simple solution to this ever growing trend of the few rich to actually get it all is not to play along. Once people actually find that "local small" is more desirable to "global big", then the first step is made. Then you can vote with your wallet and support local schools and businesses over the global ones. This is possible because the driving force of these greedy few rich that want it all is money.

If this seems too simplistic, it is because most "thinkers" are brainwashed to believe in "the bigger the better" way of thinking. Most "thinkers" also are brainwashed to believe that "if it is too simple, then it has not been fully thought out and needs more expertise to make it work at all". Unfortunately with the mass media, most of us have been brainwashed not to think at all and to be complacent with entertainment and drugs.